The invention relates generally to systems and methods for control of electronic devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for the programming and recharging of medical devices, and especially neurostimulating devices, either by the patient receiving treatment from the device or by a caregiver.
Medical devices are commonly used today to treat patients suffering from various ailments, including by way of example, pain, incontinence, movement disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and spasticity. Additional stimulation therapies appear promising to treat a variety of other medical conditions, including physiological, psychological, and emotional conditions. As the number of stimulation therapies increases, so do the demands placed on these medical devices.
Known stimulation devices, such as cardiac pacemakers, tachyarrhythmia control devices, drug delivery devices, and nerve stimulators, provide treatment therapy to various portions of the body. While the present invention may be used with various medical devices, by way of example and illustration, an implantable pulse generator (IPG) device will be discussed to illustrate the advantages of the invention. In the case of providing electrical stimulation to a patient, an IPG is implanted within the body. The IPG is coupled to one or more electrodes to deliver electrical stimulation to select portions of the patient's body. Neuromuscular stimulation (the electrical excitation of nerves and/or muscle to directly elicit the contraction of muscles), neuromodulation stimulation (the electrical excitation of nerves, often afferent nerves, to indirectly affect the stability or performance of a physiological system) and brain stimulation (the stimulation of cerebral or other central nervous system tissue) can provide functional and/or therapeutic outcomes.
There exist both external and implantable devices for providing beneficial results in diverse therapeutic and functional restorations indications. The operation of these devices typically includes the use of an electrode placed either on the external surface of the skin, a vaginal or anal electrode, or a surgically implanted electrode. Implantable medical devices may be programmable and/or rechargeable, and the devices may log data, which are representative of the operating characteristics over a length of time.
Implantable devices have provided an improvement in the portability of neurological stimulation devices, but there remains the need for continued improvement in the control of such devices either by the patient into whom a device is implanted or by a caregiver. Medical devices are often controlled using microprocessors with resident operating system software. This operating system software may be further broken down into subgroups including system software and application software. The system software controls the operation of the medical device while the application software interacts with the system software to instruct the system software on what actions to take to control the medical device based upon the actual application of the medical device.
As the diverse therapeutic and functional uses of stimulators increase and become more complex, system software having a versatile interface is needed to play an increasingly important role. This interface allows the system software to remain generally consistent based upon the particular medical device, and allows the application software to vary greatly depending upon the particular application. As long as the application software is written so it can interact with the interface, and in turn the system software, the particular medical device can be used in a wide variety of applications with only changes to application specific software. This allows a platform device to be manufactured in large, more cost effective quantities, with application specific customization occurring at a later time.
While handheld programmers are generally known in the art, the programmers are generally controlled only by a treating physician or clinician. Therefore, to modify device settings, an office visit is normally required. Such office visits are especially inefficient where the required adjustment of the medical device is such that the patient or caregiver could accomplish the adjustment with minimal training. Therefore, there exist many gaps in handheld controller devices and methods for the controlling and recharging of medical devices, especially those of the implanted type, either by the patient receiving treatment from the device or by a caregiver.
Furthermore, although it is generally known to use rechargeable power supplies or batteries in implanted medical devices, methods heretofore employed to recharge the implanted devices most often required the patient to remain relatively motionless or in a relaxed position. Since the recharging process for the devices can be lengthy, the limitations in patient movement could hinder the patient's lifestyle, especially if recharging was required during the patient's waking hours. For example, a patient using a prior art method of recharge may be prevented from running simple errands because of the virtual or physical tether to prior art recharging apparatus.
Therefore, the field of medical treatment by implantable medical devices would benefit from a portable apparatus that provides a patient or caregiver the ability to recharge and alter the parameters of an implanted medical device, while at the same time allowing the patient substantially unobstructed mobility.